The seven feasts
ordained by God for Israel to celebrate are
located in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. These
feasts were a teaching tool for the children of
Israel. They promised a coming Messiah and an
ultimate salvation for the nation.The Hebrew word
for feast (Lev 23:2) means appointment (i.e., a
fixed time or season). The Hebrew word for
convocation (Lev. 23:3) means an assembly of
people, but the word carries a deeper
connotation of assembling for the purpose of a
rehearsal for something. Thus, the seven feasts
of God were given as a pattern or rehearsal of
future events that will occur at the appointed
times, but God first gave Israel the Sabbath as
a sign of a perpetual covenant, a great hope for
a future millennial rest. This is confirmed in
Lev 23:3 and in the following:Exo 31:13-17 (KJV) Speak thou
also unto the children of Israel, saying,
Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a
sign between me and you throughout your
generations; that ye may know that I am the
LORD that doth sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep
the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto
you: every one that defileth it shall surely
be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work
therein, that soul shall be cut off from among
his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but
in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to
the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the
sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep
the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout
their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of
Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he
rested, and was refreshed.Every time
Israel celebrated the Sabbath they were to
remember that God created the heaven and earth
in six days and rested on the seventh. The
Sabbath was also a sign of another pattern of
God’s seven thousand year plan for man. A sign
is something that portends something beyond
itself, and the Sabbath as a sign taken in
conjunction with other Scriptures points to the
terminus in God’s plan for the ages. This
terminus is the seventh thousand-year period,
and it is commonly called the millennium or rest
(Heb 4). All of creation groans in travail
awaiting the millennium when God will remove his
curse from the earth, and Jesus Christ will
reign over the earth as the Head of a perfect
government. The Scriptures confirm this seven
thousand year plan, and there is much historical
evidence to confirm it.The following
Scripture verse provides the figurative meaning
of the word day when the literal meaning does
not make any sense:2 Pet 3:8 (KJV) But, beloved, be not
ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.One must be
careful not to apply the day-equals-a-year
interpretation to all of the prophetic
Scriptures since this is a violation of basic
hermeneutical principles. It is appropriate to
take the word day figuratively when it makes no
sense when taken literally. A primary example of
when day should be taken figuratively (i.e., one
thousand years) is the following Scripture:Hosea 6:1-2 (KJV) Come, and let
us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and
he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will
bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive
us: in the third day he will raise us up, and
we shall live in his sight.The word day
used in the plural and singular in this
Scripture clearly makes no sense when taken
literally, so the figurative interpretation must
be sought. The above Scripture is a prophecy
about Israel who rejected their Lord and Savior
(i.e., the Messiah). Because of this rejection
Israel was torn and smitten, and they will
remain this way for two days or two thousand
years. It is “in the third day” that Jesus will
revive Israel. It is not a coincidence that
almost two thousand years have elapsed since
Israel’s Messiah came to earth. The third day is
only a short time away. The time for Israel’s
restoration is very near.The third and
fourth chapters of the book of Hebrews describes
a rest [lit. ‘a Sabbath keeping,’ ‘a Sabbath
rest’] that is yet future and designed for the
people of God. When understood in connection
with the prophetic Scriptures about the
millennium, it becomes clear that this “Sabbath
rest” is the millennial kingdom that is to last
for a literal one thousand years. This means
that man is given six days or six thousand years
to work, but the seventh thousand-year period is
the millennial rest that equates with the
Sabbath. According to most chronologies taken
from Scripture, the earth is very close to the
end of six thousand years. For example, Ussher’s
chronology places creation at 4004 B.C. Since
the millennial rest will be ushered in by Jesus
Christ, and there is a seven-year tribulation
period before it begins, the return of Jesus for
the Church must be very close.In addition to
the Sabbath day, the seven feasts also gave a
pattern of prophetic events that were future,
and Jesus Christ was to fulfill each one. The
following Scripture confirms this:Col 2:16-17 (KJV) Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or
in respect of an holyday (i.e., feast day), or
of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17
Which are a shadow (i.e., type or picture) of
things to come; but the body (i.e., substance
or fulfillment) is of Christ.Basically, this
Scripture states that Christians are free from
observing the legalistic requirements of the
Law, but it also states that these feast dates
are important as types of future events that
will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ. These feasts
are landmarks for God’s plan for the age.Three
Interpretations of the BibleThe number
three in Scripture represents divine perfection.
It is the first of four perfect numbers in
Scripture. Seven denotes spiritual perfection.
Ten denotes ordinal perfection, and twelve
denotes governmental perfection. All things that
are especially complete are stamped with the
number three. God is Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and
omnipotent. Time is past, present and future.
The kingdom of God has three aspects. Man
was created as body, soul and spirit. Thus, the
divine stamp on Scripture includes three
interpretations.The
literal-historical includes the literal events
that took place, and it is the primary basic
interpretation. The second interpretation is
often called the spiritual, and it includes the
devotional or personal applications that are to
be made from Scripture. It is the job of pastors
to present the spiritual applications that are
to be made from Scripture.The third
interpretation of Scripture is called the
prophetic or doctrinal interpretation of
Scripture. The prophetic interpretation is the
most neglected of the three interpretations,
since it requires a great deal of Bible study
and a close intimate walk with the Lord. It is
the job of teachers to present the prophetic
interpretation of the Scriptures to Christians.The Prophetic
Significance of the Feasts#1 PassoverThe first feast
commanded by God was Passover. It was
celebrated on the 14th day of the first month
Nisan (i.e., Abib) in the evening (Lev
23:5). This feast was instituted in Egypt
on the night before the exodus from Egypt.
The Passover lamb was killed on the evening of
the 14th of Nisan and the blood was sprinkled on
the doorposts and lintel as a security against
the death angel who was to pass over that night.The New
Testament fulfillment of this feast was the
death of Christ on Calvary. Jesus
celebrated the Passover with his disciples on
the evening of the 14th. The lamb was
slain and they celebrated Passover according to
the Pharisees who were the conservatives of
Jesus’ day. The Jewish day always began at
sundown according to God’s pattern in Genesis so
the 14th of Nisan began at sundown on a Tuesday
evening. Jesus was crucified Wednesday
morning—still the 14th of Nisan—at 9:00 (i.e.,
the 3rd hour) and He died at 3:00 in the
afternoon.The Sadducees
were in control of the Sanhedrin, and they
celebrated the Passover according to the Greek
reckoning of time, which began the day at
midnight instead of sundown. This is the
reason that Jesus was able to eat the Passover
and also die at the precise time (i.e., 3:00
p.m.) that the lamb was traditionally slain by
the Sadducees at that time. Caiaphas was the
high priest and he was a Sadducee. The Sadducees
ate the Passover meal on Wednesday night after
Jesus was crucified that day. It was still
the day of Passover to them since their day did
not end until midnight. An understanding of the
Jewish and Greek reckonings of when the day
started resolves the apparent discrepancies in
the four gospels concerning the crucifixion, the
resurrection of Jesus, and the differences in
the times that the Passover meal was celebrated.#2 Unleavened BreadThe feast of
Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:7,8) was celebrated for
seven days and it began on the evening of the
15th of Nisan. It is significant that the
first and seventh days of the feast of
Unleavened Bread are annual Sabbaths or High
Days. The seven feasts ordained by God for
Israel contain seven days that are to be
celebrated as Sabbath days (Lev 23:8, 21, 25,
28, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, & 39).
These Sabbath days along with an outline of the
seven feasts are presented in chart form at the
end of this article.The reason that
tradition holds that Jesus was crucified on
Friday stems from a misunderstanding of the
annual Sabbaths ordained by God. Preparation Day
was the day before the Sabbath so the name
Preparation Day became synonymous with
Friday. This was true 52 times during the
year, but there were seven Preparation Days
during the Jewish year that occurred on other
days during the week. This was the case during
the week that Jesus was crucified.
Wednesday was the day of Passover, but it was
also Preparation Day for the first day of
Unleavened Bread, which was an annual Sabbath or
High Day as described in the following verse:John 19:31 (KJV) The Jews therefore,
because it was the preparation, that the
bodies should not remain upon the cross on the
Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high
day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
broken, and that they might be taken away.The piece of
bread (i.e., matzo) used by the Jews to observe
this feast today is clearly typical of our Lord,
since it is striped (1 Peter 2:24) and pierced
(John 19:37). The feast lasted seven days
since it was customary to mourn for the dead for
three days, which are called days of weeping,
and then followed by four days of lamentation
making a total of seven days.According to
rabbinical tradition, the spirit wandered about
the tomb for three days hoping to re-enter the
body, since it took this long for corruption to
take place. This is why Jesus had to lie in the
tomb for a full three days and three nights to
prove that he had gained the keys to hell and
death (Rev. 1:18). Thus, Jesus fulfilled the
feast of Unleavened Bread precisely at the
correct time by being placed in the tomb on the
first moments of the first day of Unleavened
Bread and remaining there for the full three
days of weeping.The Jews also
had a practice of calling the entire eight-day
celebration by the name Passover even though
only the first day was actually Passover. The
remaining seven days were the feast of
Unleavened Bread, and the feast of Firstfruits
also occurred during this eight-day celebration.Leaven in the
Scriptures always refers to evil or that which
corrupts. This is why the Jews were to
spend seven days purging out all leaven from
within the house. This is a picture of the
believer purging out the evil from within
himself.Paul expressed
the fulfillment of this as follows:1 Cor 5:7-8 (KJV) Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as
ye are unleavened. For even Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let
us keep the feast, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth.The prophetic
fulfillment of the feast of unleavened bread was
the burial of Christ. He was placed in the tomb
on the first moments of the first day of
Unleavened Bread. The Jews were to feed on
unleavened bread for a period of seven days. The
body of Jesus was the unleavened bread according
to the following Scripture:John 6:51 (KJV) I am the living bread
which came down from heaven: if any man eat of
this bread, he shall live for ever: and the
bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world.#3 Firstfruits
The next feast
day was the feast of Firstfruits, and it
occurred during the same eight days as Passover
and Unleavened Bread. The day of its
celebration was the day after the weekly
Sabbath, and it was celebrated by waving one
sheaf of the Firstfruits before the Lord (Vs.
10, 11). There was also a burnt offering
of a male lamb without blemish (Vs 12), and a
meat (i.e., meal) offering of unleavened bread
and wine (Vs 13). It is not coincidence
that this feast day occurred on the same Sunday
that Jesus was resurrected from the dead,
ascended into heaven with his blood, sprinkled
his own blood on the mercy seat in the
tabernacle in heaven, and returned to earth to
teach his disciples for forty days.It should be
clear that the feast of Firstfruits was
fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus and the
placing of his blood on the mercy seat in
heaven. Jesus is the spotless lamb, the
unleavened bread, and the single sheaf of grain
waved before God.It is at this
point in the seven feasts that confusion sets in
since the fourth feast is also called
Firstfruits, but it is more commonly called
Pentecost, the feast of Harvest, or the feast of
Weeks.Even more
confusing is the Old Testament referral to three
feasts that are to be celebrated by the Jews in
the following Scripture:Exo 23:14-17 (KJV) Three times
thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened
bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven
days, as I commanded thee, in the time
appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou
camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear
before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest,
the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou
hast sown in the field: and the feast of
ingathering, which is in the end of the year,
when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of
the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy
males shall appear before the Lord GOD.The three
feasts were three separate gathering times
during the year in the spring, summer and
fall. The feast of Passover, the feast of
Unleavened Bread and the feast of Firstfruits
were celebrated in the spring gathering. The
feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:10-14) and the day
of Firstfruits (Lev 23:15-21 & Num. 28:26)
are often confused, and this has presented a
problem in understanding the order of the
resurrection. Jesus was resurrected on the feast
of Firstfruits. There will also be a rapture of
the Firstfruits of the Church as a fulfillment
of the day of Firstfruits, which is more
commonly called Pentecost.The
transliterated Hebrew word for Firstfruits,
which points to the resurrection of Christ, is re’shiyth
(i.e., ray-sheeth) and it means the very first
in time, place, order or rank. This was the
first mature sheaf of grain and was waved before
the Lord to celebrate the feast (Lev 23:10-11).The
transliterated Hebrew word for Firstfruits,
which points to the Firstfruits rapture of the
church, is bikkuwr
(i.e., bik-koor’). This word means the
Firstfruits of the crop, which mature early, but
it does not refer to the very first one in
order. Both of these Hebrew words are used
together in the following passage of Scripture:Exo 23:19a (KJV) The first (i.e.,
re’shiyth) of the firstfruits (i.e., bikkuwr)
of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of
the LORD thy God.In other
passages these two words are both translated
“firstfruits.” Jesus is the firstfruits (i.e.,
re’shiyth). He is the fulfillment of the #3
Feast of Firstfruits. As we shall see next,
mature Christians are the firstfruits (i.e.,
bikkuwr) of the #4 Feast of Pentecost - Day of
Firstfruits.Jesus was the
Firstfruits and the fulfillment of this third
feast. Jesus is the first of the Firstfruits,
and those mature Christians who are prepared for
the return of Jesus and are looking forward to
it are the Firstfruits. Both of the above
Hebrew words are translated Firstfruits in
Scripture, but there is a clear distinction
between them. There are even two separate
feasts to celebrate each one.#4 Pentecost—Day of
FirstfruitsPentecost is
also called the feast of Weeks because it takes
place seven weeks after the feast of
Firstfruits. It always occurs on the “morrow
after the seventh sabbath” so it always occurs
on Sunday. It would behoove the reader to be
well aware of the date of Pentecost each year,
since it is conceivable that the Firstfruits
rapture will take place on this date.There are
numerous prophetic scholars who are especially
interested in the dates of the celebration of
Rosh Hashanah (i.e., feast of Trumpets) each
year. The reason for this interest is the belief
that the rapture at the last trump will take
place on Rosh Hashanah, and this belief is
probably accurate. Unfortunately, these
prophetic scholars overlook the fact that #4
Pentecost must be completely fulfilled before #5
Rosh Hashanah is fulfilled.Many think that
Pentecost was fulfilled when the Church was
instituted on Pentecost, but this was only the
beginning of the fulfillment of Pentecost.
It seems appropriate that the Church Age will
begin and end on Pentecost with the rapture of
the Firstfruits of the Church.The celebration
of Pentecost is described in Lev. 23:15-21. The
offering to the Lord includes two loaves of
bread baked with leaven (Vs 17). “They are
the Firstfruits unto the Lord” (Vs 17). It
should be clear that this Firstfruits cannot
refer to Jesus, since the loaves were baked with
leaven, a symbol of sin and corruption in the
Bible. There are two loaves baked with
fine flour that came from the sheaves of grain
that matured early.The two loaves
of bread represent both Jews and Gentiles, which
make up the faithful remnant of the Church. They
will be raptured at the beginning of the
seven-year tribulation period. This is the
same group of Christians referred to as the
Philadelphia Church in Revelation 3:7-13.
These are the Christians who are kept from the
“hour of temptation” (Rev. 3:10) because of
their faithfulness. There are quite a few
Scriptures that confirm both a Firstfruits and a
main harvest rapture of the Church. Both
of these are in addition to the Firstfruits
resurrection of Jesus (Vss 10-14).Pentecost is
the fourth feast and the third of the seven
annual Sabbaths or High Days (Vs 21).#5 Rosh
Hashanah—Feast of TrumpetsThe feast of
Trumpets (i.e., Rosh Hashanah) is the first of
the three feasts that occur in the fall of the
year. It is described in verses 23-25, and
it is celebrated by the blowing of
trumpets. The feast day occurs on the
first day of the seventh month called Tishri, so
it is a New Moon celebration. The Jews
followed a Lunar calendar that is based on the
movements of the moon rather that the sun.
The day of the feast could not be known ahead of
time since it depended on the appearance of the
New Moon. As soon as the New Moon appeared
the shofar (i.e., ram’s horn) would be blown to
signify that the feast day had arrived (Psalm
81:3). Since the New Moon could not be
calculated precisely, it became the custom to
celebrate two days instead of one. Thus,
Rosh Hashanah is now celebrated on the first and
second of Tishri to be certain the New Moon
appears.Rosh Hashanah
is a memorial of the grace extended by God to
Abraham when God substituted a ram to be
sacrificed in place of Abraham’s son,
Isaac. This is the reason the feast is
celebrated by blowing a ram’s horn. The
day is also considered by some Bible scholars to
be the birthday of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and
Samuel. It is also considered by many to
be the birthday of Jesus Christ. This is
the reason that Joseph and Mary were unable to
find a room for the night. Jerusalem and
the surrounding towns (i.e., Bethlehem) were
filled with Jews who had come to Jerusalem to
celebrate the fall feasts. It would also
have been the appropriate time for a census,
since the work of the harvest was past and
winter had not yet arrived. The shepherds would
still be abiding in the fields at night, since
the rainy and cold season was still future.The New
Testament fulfillment of the feast of Trumpets
is clearly the Main Harvest Rapture of the
Church according to the following Scriptures:1 Th 4:16-17 (KJV) For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise
first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord.1 Cor 15:51-52 (KJV) Behold, I show you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.The big
question in the above Scripture is the meaning
of “the last trump.” Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur are such High Holy Days that preparation
for them begins a month earlier on the first day
of the Jewish month Elul. Each day
throughout the month of Elul the ram’s horn
trumpet is blown. On the day before Rosh
Hashanah no trumpets are blown. Then
trumpets are blown throughout the day on Rosh
Hashanah in varying sequences and differing
blasts (i.e., short and long blasts).Sometime on the
second day of Rosh Hashanah the last trumpet
blast is sounded, and this trumpet blast is
called the Great Tekiah. The Great Tekiah
is “the last trump” that Paul was referring to
and it will signal the Main Harvest Rapture of
the Church on some future feast of trumpets,
which will take place somewhere in the middle of
the tribulation. This is the reason that
numerous Bible scholars pay so much attention to
the celebration of Rosh Hashanah each year.The Main
Harvest Rapture of the Church will be the final
harvest of all Christians who “remain.” It is
the prophetic fulfillment of the fifth feast,
Rosh Hashanah. It will happen in the middle of
the tribulation. Mature Christians are watching
to “be accounted worth to escape all these
things.”Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore,
and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man.The catching up
of John in Revelation 4:1-2 is a picture of the
Firstfruits Rapture and not the Main Harvest
Rapture. The Firstfruits Rapture occurs at the
beginning of the seven-year tribulation. The
“open door” in heaven (Rev. 4:1) is the same
“open door” that was promised to the church of
Philadelphia for being faithful (Rev. 3:8). The
main harvest rapture is described in Revelation
7:9-17. The 24 elders (Rev. 4:4) are those who
are accounted worthy to participate in
Firstfruits. They are overcomers, and they have
earned for themselves crowns to signify that
they will reign and rule with Jesus Christ
during the millennial kingdom.The elder in
Revelation 7:13 asks John a rhetorical question
about where all these other Christians came
from, and John answers the question by saying
that they came out of great tribulation (See
Rev. 2:22). Please note that they washed their
robes and not themselves (Rev. 7:14). They
were already saved (i.e., spiritually reborn)
when the tribulation began, but they were
unfaithful Christians who had defiled their
garments by sin and disobedience (See Rev. 3:4).
They have now been cleansed according to 1 John
1:9.It is at the
end of chapter 7 of Revelation that all
Christians are in heaven and God is about to
release his wrath upon the earth. No
Christian will go through the wrath of God on
the earth. The Firstfruits rapture has
fulfilled the day of Firstfruits (i.e.,
Pentecost), and the main harvest rapture of the
Church has fulfilled the feast of Trumpets
(i.e., Rosh Hashanah). At this point there
are two remaining feasts that must and will be
fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The remaining
feasts are the Day of Atonement (i.e., Yom
Kippur) and the feast of Tabernacles (i.e.,
Succoth).The feast of
Trumpets is the fifth feast and the fourth of
the seven annual Sabbaths or High Days (Vs 25).#6 Yom
Kippur—AtonementThe Day of
Atonement, Yom Kippur, is the most revered of
Israel’s holy days. Yom Kippur is
celebrated on the 10th day of Tishri, and the
Jewish people start preparing their hearts for
it during the previous month of Elul. The
feast of Rosh Hashanah begins on the 1st of
Tishri, and this begins the sober countdown to
Yom Kippur. The first ten days of Tishri
are called the Ten Days of Awe, and they are for
the purpose of repentance by Israel.The weekly
Sabbath that falls in these ten days is even
called Shabbat Shuvah, the “Sabbath of
Repentance.” It is a Sabbath of turning
away from sin and preparation for the coming
judgment. Yom Kippur means a day of
covering and it is a day observed as Israel’s
annual cleansing from sin. It is a day of
fasting and the most holy of all Jewish
feasts. Traditionally, Yom Kippur is the
day that Moses came down from Mount Sinai with
the second set of stone tablets. Israel
had received forgiveness for the sin of idolatry
with the golden calf.The New
Testament fulfillment of the Day of Atonement
will be the day that Jesus is revealed from
heaven and sets his feet down on the Mount of
Olives (Zech. 14:4). This is often called
the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and the
Scriptures refer to it as his “coming in the
clouds with great power and glory” (Mk 13:26).His appearing
will take place at the height of the battle of
Armageddon, and it is the day that Israel will
be saved as a nation. Two-thirds of the
Jews shall die but one-third will be brought
through the fire, and they will call upon the
name of the Lord and be saved (Zech.
13:8,9). This is the day that Israel will
receive her atonement for her sins, and she will
be reconciled to God. The day this occurs
will almost certainly take place on some future
day of Atonement at the end of the seven-year
tribulation period.The period in
between the fulfillment of the feast of Trumpets
(i.e., the main harvest rapture) and the
fulfillment of the Day of Atonement (i.e., the
salvation of Israel as a nation) is known as the
time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).
This is the last three and one-half years of the
seven-year tribulation, and it will be a time of
terrible affliction and sorrow for Israel.Before the Jews
can be annihilated, Jesus will return to save
them. This will likely be on the Day of
Atonement. The Jews will see Jesus, recognize
him as their true Messiah, and acknowledge him
as Lord and Savior. The nation will be saved in
a day (Rom. 11-26).Moses confirms
in the following Scripture that Israel receives
her Atonement in the tribulation period:Deu 4:30-31 (KJV) When thou art in
tribulation, and all these things are come
upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou
turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be
obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy
God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake
thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the
covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto
them.The following
Scripture celebrates the glorious salvation of
Israel when they look upon Jesus and realize the
one they crucified is their true Messiah:Zec 12:10 (KJV) And I will pour upon
the house of David, and upon the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of
supplications: and they shall look upon me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn
for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is
in bitterness for his firstborn.The Day of
Atonement is the sixth feast and the fifth of
the seven annual Sabbaths or High Days (Vs 28).#7 TabernaclesThe feast of
Tabernacles is the seventh and final feast
ordained by God for Israel to celebrate (Vss
33-36). This feast is known in Jewry today
as Succoth, and it is celebrated in the third
gathering in the fall of the year after the
harvest. It is celebrated on the 15th day
of the seventh month Tishri and the feast
continues for seven days. During these
seven days the people were to dwell in booths
(i.e., small shelters called sukkah) that were
made from the branches of palm trees and willows
from the brook. This was to remind them of
the Palm trees of Elim (See Ex. 15:27-16:1) and
the willows of Babylon (Psalm 137). It was
also to remind them of their fathers who lived
in tents during the forty years in the
wilderness.In contrast to
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the feast of
Tabernacles (i.e., Succoth) was a time of
rejoicing and thanksgiving for the harvest that
had been gathered and the forgiveness that God
had extended to the people. The feast even
became known as “The Season of Our Joy.”
Other names for the feast are the Feast of
Booths, the Feast of In gathering, and simply
The Feast. It is highly significant that
the feast is observed after the final gathering
of the harvest.The number
seven is very prominent in the feast of
Tabernacles. It is the seventh feast in
the seventh month, and it is celebrated for
seven days. The New Testament fulfillment
of this feast is clearly the establishment of
the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ at the
end of the seven year tribulation period.
The last day of the feast is called the Day of
the Great Hosanna. This is the day that
all the inhabitants of the earth will literally
worship the Great Hosanna. The prophets
referred to it as the Great Day of the Lord.The following
Scripture details the celebration of the feast
of Tabernacles:Deu 16:13-15 (KJV) Thou shalt observe
the feast of tabernacles seven days, after
that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy
wine: 14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast,
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy
manservant, and thy maidservant, and the
Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and
the widow, that are within thy gates. 15 Seven
days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the
LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall
choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless
thee in all thine increase, and in all the
works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt
surely rejoice.Even the land
will rejoice when the millennial kingdom is
established in fulfillment of the feast of
Tabernacles. The following Scripture
describes this event:Isa 35:1-2 (KJV) The wilderness and the
solitary place shall be glad for them; and the
desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
even with joy and singing: the glory of
Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency
of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory
of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.The first and
eighth days of Tabernacles are the sixth and
seventh annual Sabbaths or High Days (Vs 39)
that are celebrated by Israel.SummaryGod ordained
that Israel celebrate seven feasts at three
seasonal gatherings during the year in the
spring, summer, and fall. These feasts
served as pictures or rehearsals for prophetic
events that were yet future. The first
gathering in the spring was the celebration of
the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and
Firstfruits. These three feasts pointed to
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the Redeemer and Messiah of
Israel. It is no coincidence that the
fulfillment of these prophetic pictures occurred
at the precise time set by God. Jesus died
on Passover, was buried on Unleavened Bread, and
was resurrected on Firstfruits.The second
gathering in early summer was the feast of
Pentecost. It is no coincidence that the initial
prophetic fulfillment of Pentecost occurred when
the Church was instituted on this date and 3,000
people were saved. Israel has been set aside for
2,000 years as the fulfillment continues
throughout the Church Age.The final
fulfillment of this feast will occur when the
Church age ends and the Firstfruits of the
Church are translated and caught up to
heaven. These Firstfruits are the faithful
members of the Church who have reached maturity
in the current Church Age and they are given the
“open door” They are the 24 elders who are
seated on thrones, and they are all wearing
crowns at the beginning of the seven-year
tribulation period.Pentecost is
also called the Day of Firstfruits since it is
the day that the Firstfruits of the Church are
harvested. Not all Christians will have crowns
and not all Christians will be in this first
harvest. Jesus will reject the great majority of
the Church because of unfaithfulness (i.e.,
immaturity). The hot summer sun (i.e., the fires
of the tribulation under Antichrist) will cause
many Christians to reach maturity before the
main harvest of the Church. This will be the
fulfillment of the feast of Trumpets, which
occurs in the fall.The third
gathering season occurs in the fall with the
celebration of the feasts of Trumpets,
Atonement, and Tabernacles. The rapture of
the remainder of the Church will be the
fulfillment of the feast of Trumpets, and it
will occur before the wrath of God is unleashed
upon the earth. The Revelation of Jesus
Christ and the salvation of the nation of Israel
in one day will be the prophetic fulfillment of
the Day of Atonement. The establishment
and completion of the millennial kingdom of
Jesus Christ will be the prophetic fulfillment
of the feast of Tabernacles.Since the
fulfillment of the first four feasts occurred on
exactly the days that the feasts were to be
celebrated, it seems wise to speculate that the
fulfillment of the remainder of these feasts
will occur on their respective feasts dates
also.Jesus rebuked
the spiritual leaders of his day for not seeing
the season of Christ’s first advent (Luke
12:54-56). Christians today are doing the same
thing. The study of the feasts should sound the
alarm and send a wake-up call to all Christians
who have fallen asleep and are lukewarm and
indifferent to the prophetic Scriptures.There is a
significant change in societal attitudes toward
believers. This is most evident on television
talk shows where Christians are mocked and
scorned. The surge in the homosexual
rights movement, the right to abortion movement,
the women’s rights movement, and the increase in
ethnic cleansing is only the beginning of a
depraved society gone mad with selfishness and
self-centeredness. The difficult times ahead
will cause society to blame Christians for the
ills that befall. It will become intolerable for
Christians who are left for the main harvest
rapture, which will take place in the middle of
the tribulation. The 42 months of tribulation
for Christians will be a time of maturing fire
when many Christians will fall to a martyr’s
death (Rev 6:9). However, there is an “open
door,” an abundant entrance, waiting for those
who diligently seek him in the present time.2 Pet 1:10-11 (KJV) Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do these
things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.